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His jaw ticked, and he slowly withdrew his touch from my face, long fingers lingering on my cheek as he pulled away. My skin sparked at the contact, the same sensation that’d pinged through me when I’d first touched him at the bar, holding him back from attacking the man who’d tried to roofie me.
I was too exhausted to contemplate the way my skin pebbled and the warmth that flashed through me. My brain blanked, too tired to continue worrying about my situation.
If Massimo wanted to hurt me, he would’ve done it already. He’d had every opportunity to beat me into submission or violate me while I was bound and helpless.
Instead, he handled me with tenderness as he tugged the hem of his shirt down my thighs, ensuring I was covered to my knees. His fingertips barely brushed my sensitive skin as he did so, and more sparks danced beneath his heated touch.
When he’d ensured my modesty, he finally pulled away and got to his feet, all six and a half feet of him towering over me. I felt small and achingly vulnerable, but I still didn’t experience a flicker of fear. The world had become surreal, my thoughts going quiet. There was nothing for me to do but lay where he’d positioned me and wait for him to get cleaned up.
His silver eyes burned into me, pinning me with his full focus as his hands went to his belt. He unbuckled it and freed the button on his jeans before my slow mind processed the fact that he was stripping right in front of me.
I sucked in a soft gasp and closed my eyes, my cheeks burning. I could still feel his gaze on me, like a physical caress on my pebbled skin.
“You’re welcome to look, farfallina.”
I pressed my lips together and swallowed a reply. The unformed words caught in my throat, and I released a sound like a soft whimper.
My cheeks flamed hotter, and I squirmed in his ropes. The jacuzzi was cool against my flushed skin, making me acutely aware of the warmth that’d bloomed in my belly.
A low sound like a hungry growl rumbled through the bathroom, but he didn’t say anything more. The sound of spraying water told me that he’d gotten in the shower.
My eyes opened a fraction, and I peeked at him through lowered lashes. The glass shower stall had already begun to steam up with the heat of the water, but I could still make out the imposing shape of his powerful body.
I sucked in a breath and squeezed my eyes shut again, reasoning to myself that I’d only been studying my surroundings to assess my situation. But there was nothing more I could do to try to escape now, and staring at Massimo’s naked body wouldn’t help me figure out how to get away from him. If anything, the reminder of his physical strength and how easily he could overpower me should make my stomach sink with despair.
But the warmth low in my belly didn’t feel like despair.
I didn’t dare contemplate it.
As I relaxed into the cool jacuzzi, the ropes cradled my body. My limbs were so heavy, and it was almost a relief to have the excuse that I couldn’t try to run. I’d been through so much in the last few hours—multiple adrenaline dumps had left me weak and exhausted.
When the shower turned off, warm steam rolled over me. My eyelids were too heavy to lift, my body too tired to rouse any anxiety over what he might do next.
“Let’s get you to bed, dolcezza.” His low, sure tone blanketed me with comfort as his scent enfolded me.
Those corded arms cradled me once again, and I didn’t bother fully waking to see where he was carrying me. I drifted somewhere on the edge of consciousness as he set me down on the soft mattress. His calloused hands brushed over my skin as he deftly freed the knots that bound me and slowly unwound the rope from my body. As he did so, his fingertips trailed along the slight indentations that the rope had left on my skin, and my nerve endings crackled with awareness.
I released a shuddering sigh, not quite waking at the strangely decadent sensation.
He laid my body down, and a plush pillow cushioned my head. A thick duvet settled over me just before his warm body shaped around mine, his hard chest pressing against my back. His fingers played through my hair, further lulling me into relaxation.
“You can sleep, Evelyn. No one will hurt you. I’ve got you.”
With that promise, I drifted down into deep, dreamless sleep.
Chapter 15
Massimo
It was nearly two in the afternoon, and Evelyn was still sleeping. Unsurprising, considering it’d been dawn when I’d finally tucked her into bed. She’d stirred in her sleep a few times, her brow furrowing with an echo of the fear she’d faced. I’d held her through the tense moments, stroking her silky platinum hair until she slept peacefully once again.
Keeping one arm draped over her, I continued texting my friends with my phone in my other hand. Enzo and Gian were traveling back to Naples, so they could place the bribes we needed at Italian ports and arrange the payment to the cartel for their product.
They had a lot of work ahead of them, but my only job was to maintain a good relationship with Stefano Duarte until the deal was sealed. He’d invited me to one of his infamous parties tonight, and I couldn’t refuse. I also wasn’t willing to take my eyes off Evelyn. I’d have to figure out a way to bring her as my guest.
And deter her from making a scene.
I won’t let you down. I texted the promise to the encrypted group chat I shared with the brothers. I can handle Evelyn.
